Lum & Abner: Classic Small-Town Comedy

Lum Returns: A Disappearing Act and a Silver-Screen Dream

Originally Aired: May 28, 1935
In Lum & Abner #117, “Lum Returns,” panic grips Pine Ridge after Lum vanishes without a trace following the failed unveiling of his self-funded statue. Fearing the worst, the townsfolk drag the mill pond and spread sightings from every direction. Just as hope fades, a call reveals the truth—Lum’s back! He reappears with surprising cheer, explaining his spontaneous trip to Kansas City as a soul-searching retreat. Reinvigorated, he announces a bold new plan to open a picture show in Pine Ridge, aiming to bring modern entertainment to the countryside. This episode is a heartwarming turn from despair to ambition, rich with humor, friendship, and small-town dreams.
Cast:Chester Lauck (Lum Edwards), Norris Goff (Abner Peabody), supporting voices including Grandpappy Spears, Cedric, and Dick Huddleston
Tags:LumAndAbner, oldtimeradio, 1930scomedy, JotEmDownStore, PineRidge, radiohumor, vintagebroadcast, Horlicks, statueceremony, missingLum, picturebusiness, smalltowncomedy, vaudeville, classicradio, KansasCitytrip, ruraladventure, GrandpappySpears, Cedric, millpondsearch

Lum Missing: Abner and Grandpap Fear the Worst

Originally Aired: May 27, 1935
In Lum & Abner #116, “Lum Missing: Abner and Grandpap Fear the Worst,” the residents of Pine Ridge are gripped with worry after Lum vanishes following the failed unveiling of a statue he had commissioned of himself. When no one showed up for the event—thanks to a prank by Moe’s Moose and the barbershop gang—Lum left in disappointment and hasn’t been seen for three days. Abner, Grandpap, and Dick Huddleston fear something terrible has happened as they recount Lum’s recent heartbreak and eccentric plans, including filling Pine Ridge with statues of himself and Abner. A phone call from Evelina, who Lum stood up for a date, only deepens their concerns. The episode is a heartfelt and humorous look at friendship, pride, and small-town drama.
Cast:Chester Lauck (Lum Edwards), Norris Goff (Abner Peabody), voices of supporting characters including Dick Huddleston and Grandpap
Tags:LumAndAbner, oldtimeradio, 1930scomedy, JotEmDownStore, PineRidge, radiohumor, vintagebroadcast, missingperson, Horlicks, statueunveiling, Moe’sMoose, prankgonewrong, smalltownmystery, vaudeville, classicradio, ruraldrama, GoffAndLauck, Evelina, Grandpap

Things Go Wrong at Unveiling Ceremony

Originally Aired: May 24, 1935
In Lum & Abner #115, “Things Go Wrong at Unveiling Ceremony,” Lum’s dreams of immortalizing himself in Pine Ridge history take a comedic nosedive. The town is all set for the grand unveiling of a statue honoring Lum Edwards—King of the Hogs—with a dramatic oration and ceremonial flair. Dressed in elaborate lodge regalia and mounted on a white horse, Lum prepares to dazzle the crowd. But there’s just one problem: the crowd never shows up. Despite the speech, the costumes, and the barbecue, only three attendees appear—Dick Huddleston, Squire Skimp, and Cedric. Crestfallen, Lum quietly retreats, leaving his ambitions and his monument in silence. This episode captures the bittersweet hilarity of small-town pride meeting small-town reality.
Cast:Chester Lauck (Lum Edwards), Norris Goff (Abner Peabody), voices of supporting characters including Grandpappy Spears, Dick Huddleston, and Squire Skimp
Tags:LumAndAbner, oldtimeradio, 1930scomedy, JotEmDownStore, KingOfTheHogs, PineRidge, statueunveiling, radiohumor, vintagebroadcast, classicradio, Horlicks, ruralcomedy, vaudeville, smalltownfailure, lodgecostumes, monumentmishap, noonecame

Discussing Story of King Midas

Originally Aired: May 23, 1935
In Lum & Abner #114, “Discussing Story of King Midas,” the partners tally up recent profits—$2,300 from the hog deal (after Squire Skimp’s expenses and commission) and more than $1,400 already in the bank from their circus—giving them about $3,700 to dream on. That sparks Abner’s fanciful riff on King Midas: turning houses, mountains, even his teeth to gold, while Lum patiently points out the comic catastrophes that would follow (you can’t eat if every biscuit turns to bullion!). Around town, handbills go out for the unveiling of Lum’s statue with free barbecue, and the Horlicks photo giveaway hits its Sunday-midnight deadline—an episode that blends tall talk, small-town promotion, and a gentle lesson about easy riches.  
Cast:Chester Lauck (Lum Edwards), Norris Goff (Abner Peabody), voices of supporting characters including Cedric Wehunt and Squire Skimp
Tags:LumAndAbner, oldtimeradio, 1930scomedy, JotEmDownStore, SquireSkimp, PineRidge, radiohumor, vintagebroadcast, KingMidas, goldtouchgag, statueunveiling, freebarbecue, photographpromo, Horlicks, smalltownschemes, ruralcomedy, classicradio, moneytalk, hogdeal, circusprofits

Squire Returns from Chicago with the Check: A Monumental Celebration in Pine Ridge

Originally Aired: May 22, 1935
In Lum & Abner #113, “Squire Returns from Chicago with the Check,” excitement runs high in Pine Ridge as Squire Skimp returns from the big city with payment for the hogs—just in time for Lum’s latest vanity project. Convinced his fortune has turned, Lum finalizes plans for his grand statue unveiling, already engraved with “Lum Edwards, King of the Hogs.” He books barbecue for 400 people, announces the ceremony over the party line in disguise as “Mr. Smith,” and organizes speeches, banners, and music to mark his self-dedicated monument. Meanwhile, Abner frets over the check and half expects trouble from the slick-talking Squire. When Squire finally arrives, all smiles and success, it seems Lum’s ambitions—and his appetite for grandeur—have never been higher.
Cast:Chester Lauck (Lum Edwards), Norris Goff (Abner Peabody), with supporting voices including Squire Skimp and Dick Huddleston
Tags:LumAndAbner, oldtimeradio, 1930scomedy, JotEmDownStore, PineRidge, radiohumor, vintagebroadcast, SquireSkimp, Horlicks, monumentcomedy, selfpromotion, ruralcomedy, smalltowncelebration, barbecue, classicradio, vanityproject, KingOfTheHogs, GoffAndLauck

Lum Orders Statue of Himself: The Hog King Immortalized

Originally Aired: May 21, 1935
In Lum & Abner #112, “Lum Orders Statue of Himself,” Lum decides it’s time Pine Ridge recognized his greatness—by putting up a statue of him in the town square. With the hog proceeds finally in, Lum flips through a monument catalog to pick his pose, debating whether to appear like Lincoln, Grant, or “The Thinker.” Abner, less enthusiastic (and following Elizabeth’s opinion that one Lum around the house is plenty), reluctantly helps circulate a petition. When local barber Mose Moots agrees to “donate” a quarter’s worth of barber work, Lum takes it as overwhelming public support and calls the monument company to place his order. He proudly dictates the inscription: “Lum Edwards—Justice of the Peace, President of the Jot ’Em Down Store, President of the School Board, and King of the Hog.” It’s small-town vanity, big dreams, and perfect Pine Ridge humor.
Cast:Chester Lauck (Lum Edwards), Norris Goff (Abner Peabody), with voices of supporting characters including Squire Skimp and Mose Moots
Tags:LumAndAbner, oldtimeradio, 1930scomedy, JotEmDownStore, PineRidge, radiohumor, vintagebroadcast, Horlicks, SquireSkimp, monumentcomedy, smalltownpride, ruralcomedy, classicradio, vanityproject, statueofLum, hogking, GoffAndLauck

Catalogue from Monument Company

Originally Aired: May 20, 1935
In Lum & Abner #111, “Catalogue from Monument Company,” Lum has a new plan for their self-funded town statue: skip the blacksmith and order a ready-made figure from a monument catalog—then just swap the faces and inscription. Abner flips through the pages, mistaking Venus de Milo for a “secondhand” bargain and Julius Caesar for a dress-wearing “sissy,” while Lum eyes the “Spirit of ’76” and tries to cast Abner as the piccolo player. Their grand design keeps running into one small problem: no hogs in the scene. Just as they scheme to replace a drummer with a concrete porker, Squire Skimp calls from Chicago—the hog market is flooded, feed and storage are piling up, and that long-distance call alone costs $18.36. With the statue dreams wobbling and the hog proceeds in doubt, the fellas decide to hold off… at least until the next brainstorm.
Cast:Chester Lauck (Lum Edwards), Norris Goff (Abner Peabody), voices of supporting characters including Dick Huddleston and Squire Skimp
Tags:LumAndAbner, oldtimeradio, 1930scomedy, JotEmDownStore, SquireSkimp, PineRidge, radiohumor, vintagebroadcast, monumentcatalog, SpiritOf76, JuliusCaesar, VenusDeMilo, hogmarket, longdistancecall, Horlicks, smalltownschemes, ruralcomedy, classicradio, statuecapers, GoffAndLauck

Discussion of the Statue

Originally Aired: May 17, 1935
In Lum & Abner #110, “Discussion of the Statue,” Pine Ridge is abuzz with plans for honoring its new “hog kings.” While Lum dreams of unveiling a grand concrete statue of himself and Abner—with a hog between them—he enlists Caleb Wehunt to craft it, even suggesting a plaster cast mold be taken of their bodies. Abner, ever skeptical, worries about breathing tubes and the hog holding still for the process. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Peabody is furious over the hog damage to her garden, Evelina grows irritated with Lum’s inflated ego, and the Squire’s honesty looms large as the men realize they handed over thousands of hogs without a single receipt. Between romantic blunders, small-town gossip, and highfalutin’ statuary ambitions, the comedy mixes vanity with the ever-present fear that Squire Skimp has swindled them again.
Cast:Chester Lauck (Lum Edwards), Norris Goff (Abner Peabody), voices of supporting characters including Caleb Wehunt, Elizabeth Peabody, and Evelina
Tags:LumAndAbner, oldtimeradio, 1930scomedy, JotEmDownStore, PineRidge, hogchainletter, Lumstatue, Abnerworries, SquireSkimp, ElizabethPeabody, Evelina, CalebWehunt, radiohumor, Horlicks, ruralcomedy, classicradio, plastercast, vanitycomedy, smalltownschemes

Lum Wants Statue Made in His Honor

Originally Aired: May 16, 1935
In Lum & Abner #109, “Lum Wants Statue Made in His Honor,” the hog chain letter finally pays off—literally—after Squire Skimp hauls thousands of Pine Ridge hogs to market on a 10% commission. With visions of newfound wealth, Lum gets carried away with grand plans for immortality, proposing a “statuary” of himself and Abner (with a hog between them) to be erected by the watering trough. Abner, more practical, suggests a town clock instead. But before dreams turn into granite or ticking towers, a harsh reality sets in: nobody bothered to get a receipt from Squire for the hogs. With thousands of animals shipped off and no proof of how many were theirs, Lum and Abner may be at the mercy of Pine Ridge’s most notorious schemer.
Cast:Chester Lauck (Lum Edwards), Norris Goff (Abner Peabody), voices of supporting characters including Cedric Wehunt and Grandpappy Spears
Tags:LumAndAbner, oldtimeradio, 1930scomedy, JotEmDownStore, PineRidge, hogchainletter, SquireSkimp, farmrelief, Lumstatue, townclock, radiohumor, Horlicks, CedricWehunt, GrandpappySpears, ruralcomedy, classicradio, chainletterfallout, hogmarket, smalltownschemes

Squire to Take Hogs to Chicago

Originally Aired: May 15, 1935
In Lum & Abner #108, “Squire to Take Hogs to Chicago,” the Jot ’Em Down Store gang finds themselves knee-deep in hogs—literally thousands of them—from their infamous chain letter scheme. While Grandpappy Spears and Abner bicker over a game of checkers, Lum tallies hogs by the thousands at Abner’s place. Enter Squire Skimp, smelling opportunity as always: he proposes to gather the surplus hogs from Pine Ridge and haul them off to Kansas City, Chicago, and other markets, all for a 10% commission. Though he dresses the plan as a favor to old friends, everyone knows Squire’s in it for profit. The episode balances farmyard chaos with comic misunderstandings—Abner suspects card tricks and rabbits up sleeves—before settling into Squire’s latest money-making scheme.
Cast:Chester Lauck (Lum Edwards), Norris Goff (Abner Peabody), voices of supporting characters including Grandpappy Spears and Squire Skimp
Tags:LumAndAbner, oldtimeradio, 1930scomedy, JotEmDownStore, PineRidge, hogchainletter, farmrelief, SquireSkimp, GrandpappySpears, hogsurplus, radiohumor, Horlicks, stockyards, ruralcomedy, classicradio, chainletterfallout, KansasCity, Chicago, checkerboardcomedy